President Donald Trump has ordered the US navy to blockade the Strait of Hormuz after peace talks with Iran failed in Islamabad. The Lebanese prime minister, meanwhile, said he was working to stop the Israel-Hezbollah war, ahead of talks in Washington on Tuesday.
While acknowledging that the negotiations in Pakistan had gone "well" and "most points were agreed to," Trump said Tehran had refused to concede on the issue of its nuclear programme.
"Effective immediately, the United States Navy, the Finest in the World, will begin the process of BLOCKADING any and all Ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz," Trump said on his Truth Social platform.
"Any Iranian who fires at us, or at peaceful vessels, will be BLOWN TO HELL!”
US Central Command announced that it will blockade all Iranian ports beginning Monday at 10am EDT (5:30pm in Iran).
The blockade will be “enforced impartially against vessels of all nations”, Centcom said, adding it would still allow ships travelling between non-Iranian ports to transit the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran had effectively blocked the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20 percent of global oil shipping was passing, before the United States and Israel launched a bombing campaign more than six weeks ago.
Trump suggested that "other countries" would be involved in the blockade effort, but did not name them.
Talks between the US vice president and Iran in Pakistan at the weekend were meant to solidify a fragile two-week ceasefire with a deal to end the conflict, but no conclusions were reached.
Lebanon
Meanwhile, in Lebanon, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said Sunday he was working to stop the war between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah militants, even as Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu told troops in south Lebanon that the fight there was far from over.
Israel said the temporary ceasefire in the wider war did not apply to its fight against Hezbollah in Lebanon.
"We are continuing our efforts... to negotiate to stop the war," Salam said in a televised address.
Talks are planned on Tuesday in Washington between Lebanese, Israeli and US officials.
Lebanon's state-run National News Agency (NNA) reported Israeli attacks on dozens of locations in the south on Sunday, with additional strikes on the adjacent West Bekaa area.
The health ministry raised the war's overall toll to more than 2,050 dead, including 165 children and more than 80 health workers.
The Lebanese Red Cross said one of its paramedics had been killed in the south, "directly targeted by an Israeli drone".
The organisation condemned attacks on its personnel as "clear and blatant violations of all provisions of international law".
(with AFP)
